


There's Always a Bit of Kindness in this Galaxy

by Resacon1990



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Domestic Kaidan, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Kaidan is a synonym for Kindness, M/M, Pre-Battle for Earth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-07 12:48:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1899600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resacon1990/pseuds/Resacon1990
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Promise me… promise that whatever happens you'll make sure Kaidan gets out. Please."</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's Always a Bit of Kindness in this Galaxy

"I think that taking them head on would work better. It's not like the Reapers won't know we're there, and skirting around in the outer edges will do nothing more than make us waste time and energy attempting to be inconspicuous when they know where we are."

"But we would be riding too much _on_ the idea they know where we are. What if they don't? We could be losing a plain advantage if we just put the idea of skirting around to the side and not even bothering with it."

"Of course they'll know, they are synthetics. Giant robots that could wipe out half a city with a single beam."

"That doesn't mean they know where individual humanoids are."

"I _hate_ to interrupt, but why not compromise? Send a stealth team of equal amount of forces from each race and use the rest as a technical brute squad? To attack them from the front?"

Not for the first time does Shepard smile as Kaidan smoothly interrupts the fighting turian and prothean, easing his way in by offering a compromise. It's quite sweet to watch really, Kaidan, who is easily dwarfed by both races, looking up and all but batting his eyelashes as Garrus seems to attempt to stare him down and Javik just looks curious over the idea.

He hears them mumbling a bit more as they agree on a compromise and to discuss tactics with Shepard later, obviously not having seen their Commander lingering in the doorway, and Kaidan gave them both a brilliant smile and nods his head as he points out how easy that was when they just _listened_.

"Yes, sorry Major," Garrus sighs, reaching up a hand to rub over his face, lingering slightly on his scar, and Javik nods beside him, "just a bit on edge. Tired. Haven't been getting much sleep lately with the final adjustments to the Normandy before we reach Earth."

Kaidan gives him a sympathetic smile before glancing down at the mugs he's holding, clearly steaming hot and probably only new from the kitchen, and Shepard hides a smile as the Major looks forlorn before reaching out and pushing on into Garrus' hands.

"Here, this'll hopefully keep you awake a little longer. Finish up, go to bed, get some rest," and Shepard smiles again as he looks at the equally tired Javik, sparing a glance for his second coffee -because someone always cons Kaidan out of one of them, leading to the necessity of carrying a second as backup- before handing it to the prothean, "and I don't know if your race can handle it, but here, this should do the trick. Same goes for you, finish, bed, sleep." He watches them both as they nod, giving him appreciative smiles before taking sips and groaning in satisfaction. Kaidan nods happily as well before he turns and wanders back over to the kitchen, drawing out another couple of mugs.

"Aw, come on! Why can't Kaidan be Commander? At least he's nice!" Joker's voice rings out from the corridor behind Shepard, and he spares a glance to see his pilot limping forward to stand beside him, offering a grin.

"Because I think having a Commander who's actually nice and _listens_ before going on insane missions might just be _too_ lucky," Garrus snorts as he walks past, Javik right behind him. "So we'll just have to settle with Kaidan convincing the Commander for us."

"Yeah, in the bedroom," Joker laughs, wincing and crying "hey!" when Shepard smacks him in the back of the head. Garrus laughs and shakes his head affectionately before leading Javik out of the room, making their way down to the lower decks together.

Shepard's smile follows them, an overwhelming feeling of love for the two warming up inside him and frankly he's scared about that. He's never had much time for family, but the way his whole crew acted is enough to practically warm his lonely heart.

Not to mention Kaidan.

"Ugh, you've got the Kaidan face going on. Stop thinking about him."

Shepard laughs and shoves Joker playfully just as Kaidan finally looks up and spots them, smiling brightly as he wanders over with his newly filled two mugs.

"Shepard!" he says, clearly delighted as he grins and leans in to brush a kiss over the Commander's cheek while Joker gags, "I thought you were looking over the Shadow Broker records with Liara for last minute information?"

"I was, thought I'd come in for some coffee myself to keep me awake," he replies smoothly before pulling Kaidan in for a proper hello, cuffing the back of Joker's head when he pulls away, "what about you? I thought you were doing last minute preps with Tali?"

"Coffee break," Kaidan grins, holding up the two mugs before he presses one into Shepard's hand and the other in Joker's, "but I guess I can make more." Without really waiting for an affirmative or not, he pecks Shepard again lightly, ruffles Joker's hair and wanders off, calling a "go back to work, slackos!" over his shoulder with a wave and a wink at Shepard.

"Always knew he was gay," Joker comments, getting another smack and Shepard has a fleeting thought of wondering if the guy _likes_ being beaten up. He hears a snigger beside him and looks down to see a smile on Joker's face, making him return it with his own.

"You're an ass."

"You like the ass. Never pegged you for a gay though, I have to admit."

Shepard snorts into his cup before taking a drink, smiling at the flavour, and he watches Joker drink his own before laughing when he wrinkles his nose, "don't like it?"

"Different."

"Kaidan has his with a lot of sugar, cream and milk."

"No wonder. I have mine black."

Shepard laughs and shakes his head, flashing Kaidan a grin as he looks over with a raised eyebrow, "so do I. But they _are_ technically his coffees so we get what we're given really."

"Not complaining."

Almost simultaneously the two turn and leave the room, making their way up towards the cockpit where Joker slides into his chair appreciatively, sighing with relief and Shepard grins as he perches on the armrest of the chair, looking over all the control panels and screens. He can see one with every crew member, Tali working at a terminal with the other engineers clearly irritating her, Javik and Garrus arguing over some object, Liara recording some sort of hologram but looking awfully put out, Vega in the middle of cleaning his weapons with Cortez, EDI in a discussion with Chakwas that mainly involves wild hand gestures, Traynor looking to be giving some interview to Diana and looking annoyed beyond relief.

"So you watch them?" Shepard asks, wincing at how unhappy and on edge everyone seems to be, and Joker nods beside him.

"I have a camera trained on every member of the crew, EDI's idea. When you have a crew like this? With people from completely different backgrounds and with completely different, well, ways of coping? It's good to keep an eye on them," Joker replies easily, leaning over to watch the crew as well before tapping at one of the screens, "there goes your boyfriend."

Shepard watches, completely enraptured, as Kaidan makes his way down to the lower decks with a tray clenched in his hand. He stops at Javik and Garrus, interrupting their second argument smoothly as he swoops up their dirty mugs and takes them away, passes Liara's room and gives her a bright smile that seems to perk her up, hands Chakwas a glass of brandy and kisses EDI's cheek -much to Joker's disgust, and quick reassurance of "he's banging Shepard, don't worry"-, intervenes with Traynor and Diana by passing them both coffees and pulling Traynor from the room, drops a plate of sandwiches between a squabbling Vega and Cortez who give him sheepish grins, and stops to converse with Gabby, Ken and Adams.

"His idea of work aye? He a bit of a mother hen."

Shepard laughs, his eyes still on the screen as he asks, "have you got sound?"

"Well, if you're the daddy of the crew, he's technically the mummy," Joker quips as he reaches over and hits a switch, stopping Shepard from smacking him as Kaidan's voice fills the cockpit.

" _You're a lifesaver, Major_ ," Gabby's saying as she removes another mug from Kaidan's loaded tray, taking a sip and moaning in delight. Ken watches her with almost hungry eyes, something Shepard has to laugh at, as he winks at Kaidan, taking another mug from him.

" _Does the Commander get special treatment like this? Or is it other kinds…?_ " he asked, ignoring the all but shrieked _Ken!_ from Adams.

" _I don't know Kenny, does Gabby get special treatment from you? Or are you too busy drooling over her to do much else?_ "

Even Shepard grins at that one, laughing at Joker's hiss of "would you like some ice for that burn" as Ken's mouth drops open, Gabby's face flames up and Adams awards Kaidan with a high-five. The Major offers them all a sweet smile as he hands the last mug to Adams and deposits some food on a nearby console, murmuring another "get back to work" before disappearing from sight again.

"Your boy has sass," Joker chuckles, smiling up at Shepard who feels pretty pleased. The sound is off again, apparently the microphones don't work all that well down in the deeper parts of engineering where Tali is, especially when they're reinforcing the engines and outfitting the Normandy with new parts. So Shepard just watches as Kaidan wanders over, disperses the other engineers and hands Tali her own mug before fishing out a straw to give her, grinning as she claps and hugs him. It's quite endearing, how lovely Kaidan is with the crew, and Shepard smiles when Kaidan finally relaxes back to drink his own coffee, the tray lying discarded nearby.

He looks away to see Joker watching him, his usual smirk a soft smile and eyes borderline sad, "you really love him don't you?" he asks, his voice seemingly hesitant and Shepard isn't surprised when he all but whispers an affirmative. Joker just nods and finishs his drink, patting Shepard on the arm lightly before leaning forward to place the mug on one of the ledges in front of the controls.

"Here, I can-" Shepard starts, reaching out to take the mug but he's stopped by Joker slapping his hand and yanking it away.

"No, leave it."

Shepard frowns, surprised when Joker doesn't meet his eyes, and he asks a quiet "why?"

"Because…" Joker takes a breath before looking up and offering Shepard another small smile, "because with what we're going into its good to know there's still a little bit of kindness in this galaxy."

Shepard is stumped, surprised at the sentimentality coming from Joker before he nods and finishes his own drink, then turns away to walk back through to the rest of the ship.

"Hey, Joker?"

He knows the pilot doesn't turn around as he mumbles a "yeah?"

"Promise me… promise that whatever happens you'll make sure Kaidan gets out. Please."

"You know I can't promise that."

"Yes you can, and you will. Kaidan needs to be alive."

"You know that if I lose one… I lose the other."

Shepard sighs, looking down at the mug in his hands, tightening them around the ceramic. He gives it a humourless smile, knowing that Joker can probably see him but not caring as he begins to walk away, his last words floating over his shoulder.

"But we all need to know there'll be a little bit of Kaidan in this galaxy."

**Author's Note:**

> I think I made myself sad?
> 
> (Sorry if this was terrible! I wrote this in the middle of some crazed saddened fury right before I actually played Priority: Earth, and I really shouldn't have?)
> 
>  
> 
> [my tumblr (if you wanna :D)](http://resacon1990.tumblr.com/)


End file.
